Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - A Brief History of Algeria

Starting point is 00:00:00 For thousands of years, one country has stood at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and the Sahara. It's been ruled by Numidian kings, Romans, Arabs, Ottomans, and Europeans. Its modern independence came only after one of the most violent decolonization struggles in history, a conflict that still shapes the country today. Learn more about the long and complicated history of Algeria on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. MGM casino and check out the newest exclusive. The Price is Right Fortune Pick. BetMDM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly.

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Starting point is 00:01:37 Learn more at adion.com. The history of Algeria goes back further than that of almost any other country. Archaeological discoveries at a dig known as Ayn Boucharit indicate that Algeria's historical roots stand back well over a million years. Excavations at the site have uncovered some of North Africa's earliest known artifacts, including cut-marked animal bones and stone implements. Dying back as far as 2.4 million years, these stone tools suggest that early human ancestors inhabited North Africa and used tool technology. much earlier than previously recognized. The recorded history of the region begins with the emergence

Starting point is 00:02:23 of early North African groups who came together as the Berber people, who early in their history faced expansion from the city-state of Carthage. The Carthaginians were an offshoot of the Phoenicians, who settled in what is today Tunisia and tried to expand their power along the North African coast, including what is today, Algeria. The Carthaginians then tried to conquer the stronger Berber tribes deeper in the region. Instead, they focused on establishing market towns for trade and tribute, and overall, their relationship was mostly positive. As Carthage expanded, the Berber population changed as well. By the 5th century BC, Berbers in Algeria had adopted new farming methods, implemented trade in political reforms, and overall expanded their economy. This progress led to the

Starting point is 00:03:11 emergence of two major Berber kingdoms in the 3rd century BC. The Mesei-Syeli and the Massilee. Once independent, both kingdoms turned against Carthage. The Massilee in particular used their separation to unite their territories, creating the kingdom of Numidia. Numidia is widely regarded as the pinnacle of Berber civilization. After gaining independence, they joined Rome against Carthage in the Second Punic War. But after years as a Roman ally, and then as a client state, Numidia lost its independence, and much of Numidia was annexed by Rome in 46 p. Under Roman rule, Algeria's coastal area saw the construction of new Roman buildings, while much of the interior focused on growing grain for export. Many native Berbers were displaced

Starting point is 00:04:00 and had to return to tribal life. Roman North Africa became a major center of early Christianity. Christianity spread widely in towns and among parts of the Berber population, and by the late fourth century, much of settled North Africa had been Christianized. Augustine of Hippo, one of Christianity's most influential theologians, lived in what is now Algerian. Roman rule ended in the early 5th century when the Vandals, a Germanic people, invaded and established a kingdom in North Africa. Eventually, the Byzantine Empire defeated the Vandals, and while Byzantine rule didn't affect Algeria very much, major cities and coastal areas were incorporated into African administration. of regions. Many inland groups stayed independent until Byzantine control ended in the late

Starting point is 00:04:48 7th century when Islam was introduced. The Umiyid dynasty launched military expeditions and campaigns across North Africa. An Umiyid commander named Uqba Ibn Nafi led the spread of Islam into Algeria using a base in what is now Tunisia to move westward. After the Arab conquest, Algerians gradually adopted Islam. As Arabs arrived, Byzantine influence faded, and local leaders joined the Islamic armies, accelerating the religious change. Fast forward several centuries, and Algeria was thriving. It became a cultural crossroads known for its art, poetry, and trade. In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the Spanish Empire became interested in Algeria and started attacking and capturing key coastal trading cities. To counter this threat, Algerian leaders turned

Starting point is 00:05:39 to the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans sent the brothers Arrug and Herodin Barbarossa to help protect them from the Spanish. The brothers agreed and managed to stop the Spanish threat. And afterwards, Algeria became an autonomous province within the Ottoman Empire, known as the Regency of Algiers. From 1516 to 1830, Algeria was part of the Regency of Algiers. During this period, it became a major naval power in the Mediterranean and

Starting point is 00:06:09 operated mostly independently, making its own treaties and paying only a small tribute to Constantinople. Ottoman influence in Algeria ended after 1830. Around this time, tensions with France grew over unpaid debts. France used the conflict as an excuse to invade Algeria and Ottoman rule and dismantle the Regency of Algiers, even though many Algerians by this time had developed a strong sense of national identity. When the French invaders, it was a very important, local tribes and the Ottomans joined forces to defend Algeria, but despite their efforts, the French managed to expand their control. Resistance to the French occupation broke out across Algeria. In the West, Emir Abdel-Cotter led a strong fight against the French,

Starting point is 00:06:57 especially at the Battle of Magda on June 28, 1835, which was a significant Algerian victory. But after years of struggle, harsh French tactics eventually prevailed. Abdul Qadr surrendered in 1847, and Algeria was officially annexed to France in 1848. The conquest caused an enormous demographic catastrophe. Some historians estimate that hundreds of thousands of Algerians died from warfare, famine, disease, and displacement, with one estimate putting the toll at roughly 825,000 by the year 1875. Unlike most colonies, after France annexed Algeria in 1848, it became a legal part of metropolitan France,

Starting point is 00:07:44 not just a colony or a territory. And more than a million French settlers called Pied Noir moved there. Algeria became vital to France because it was a huge market for French goods and offered a strategic military location in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, its location, just across the Mediterranean Sea, made it. easy for France to control. Unlike other colonies, Algeria was split into official French departments. The slogan was, Algeria is France. It was the only African territory considered part of the French Republic and sent representatives to the French Parliament. But in reality, most Algerians were not treated as French. They lacked full political rights and citizenship,

Starting point is 00:08:30 which were reserved for the European minority and a few others. The vast, majority of the local Algerian population were treated as subjects, not citizens. During World War II, Germany defeated France, and Algeria fell under the rule of Vichy France. Algeria was liberated from Vichy control in 1942 during Operation Torch. Many local Algerians called for real equality and integration with France. Many Algerians fought in the war and worked in factories, and were promised reforms like voting rights, but these promises were never kept. For many Algerians, this led them to believe that only an armed struggle could end European rule. And this all came to a head in

Starting point is 00:09:17 1954 when the Front de Liberation Nacional, or the FLN, began to prepare for the Algerian War of Independence. The Algerian war was a brutal fight between the FLN and France. It's considered to be one of the most important anti-colonial struggles in all of history. The FLN used guerrilla tactics and urban attacks against the French military and the Pied Noirs. Since Algeria was considered a part of France, the fighting was fierce. The French government responded with heavy counterinsurgency measures, and many Europeans there saw independence as a betrayal. Both sides of the conflict committed serious war crimes. The FLN targeted European civilians on August 20, 1955, at the Philippaville massacre, where between 3,000 to 5,000 French were killed, and in response,

Starting point is 00:10:09 the French killed many more Algerians. In May of 1958, French settlers and military officers in Algeria formed a committee of public safety and demanded a government committed to keeping Algeria French. The resulting constitutional crisis helped bring Charles de Gaul back to power and resulted in the collapse of the Fourth French Republic. After taking power, De Gaulle realized that the conflict couldn't continue and said in 1959 that Algerians had the right to decide their future. This infuriated many pro-French military groups who attempted to stage a military coup. Algerian independence finally came through a sequence of negotiations and referendums rather than a single vote.

Starting point is 00:10:55 In January 1961, French voters, including voters in Algeria, approved Charles de Gaul's plan for allowing Algerians to determine their own political future. Negotiations between France and the FLN then produced the Evian Accords, signed on March 18, 1962, which established a ceasefire and laid out a process for transferring sovereignty. French voters overwhelmingly approved the agreements in a second referendum on April 8th, with about 91% voting yes. And finally, on July 1st, 1962, voters in Algeria were asked whether Algeria should become an independent state, cooperating with France under the Evian terms. More than 99% of the votes cast favored independence. France formally recognized Algeria as an independent country on July 3rd, and Algeria celebrates

Starting point is 00:11:48 July 5, 1962, as its Independence Day. Algeria's first president was FLN leader Ahmed Ben Bella. But his time in office was, was short as he was overthrown in a June 1965 military coup led by Wari Bumetian. Over time, Algeria started to liberalize and promote arabization, while also relying more on oil and gas exports. But an economic recession in the 1980s caused social unrest and led to the formation of new political parties. In 1991, the Islamic Salvation Front, or FIS, saw electoral success. Fearing in Islamic government, authorities canceled the election, which triggered a civil war that lasted until 2002. The fighting was brutal between the government and Islamic insurgents groups.

Starting point is 00:12:41 The FIS tried to crush political opposition, leading to splinter groups fighting for their own state. The violence included massacres, assassinations, bombings, and government abuses. As many as 200,000 died, and tens of thousands of people simply disappeared. The conflict finally ended in 2002 when the rebels suffered from a combination of surrenders, defeats by security forces, and the loss of public support after mass killings. After the Civil War, Algeria began to recover. The government, backed by the military, focused on national security and keeping tight control over the country. A key step was the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation passed in 2005. It gave immunity

Starting point is 00:13:27 and amnesty to Islamic fighters, as well as sweeping immunity to members of the security forces and state-backed militias. Since then, Algeria's economy and society have improved. While progress is mixed, Algeria has made big steps towards recovery. Nonetheless, it was also affected by the Arab Spring protests in 2011 and 2012. Algeria's economy still isn't very diverse, as it's mostly driven by oil and gas, but it has helped it achieve one of Africa's highest. GDPs. Algeria's history has been shaped by geography, conquest, and the struggle to define its own identity. Berbers, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, Ottomans, and finally the French, each left a

Starting point is 00:14:11 lasting mark on the country. Independence in 1962 ended more than a century of French rule, but it did not end Algeria's problems. Yet, despite the political upheaval, civil war, and dependence on oil and gas, Algeria has remained one of the most important countries in all of Africa. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Austin Otkin and Cameron Kiefer. Research and writing for this episode was provided by Olivia Ash.

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Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More - A Brief History of Algeria

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